Motion + Power: Why Your Industry Association Isn’t Just for Manufacturers

If you work with gears, bearings, or any mechanical power transmission component—as an OEM, an engineer specifying equipment, or an operator keeping production lines running—chances are you’ve heard of AGMA or ABMA. You may have used their standards without realizing it. What you may not know is that those two organizations merged in May 2025 to form the Motion + Power Manufacturers Alliance, and that this new alliance was built with you in mind.

I stepped into the role of MPMA President in early April, bringing nearly 25 years of experience working alongside the gear and bearing industries. In that time, I’ve watched the supply chain grow more complex, more interconnected, and more dependent on the kind of shared knowledge and standards infrastructure that only a unified industry association can provide.

MPMA’s mission is to serve as the global network for technical standards, education, and business information for manufacturers, suppliers, and users of mechanical power transmission components. Users. That word is intentional. The problems you face—specifying the right component, understanding emerging technology, finding qualified talent, navigating a shifting regulatory environment—are the same problems driving our agenda for the next five years.

So what does MPMA offer someone on your side of the supply chain? Our brand rests on four pillars, and each one is relevant to you.

Technical. MPMA maintains and advances more than 150 standards and publications—the same standards your suppliers reference when they design and manufacture the components you depend on. Understanding those standards isn’t just useful; it gives you a stronger foundation for specifying equipment, evaluating suppliers, and protecting your operations. MPMA’s technical committees are where those standards are built and refined, and customer voices belong in that conversation.

Education. Whether you’re an engineer early in your career or a senior technical leader, the power transmission landscape is evolving faster than any one company can track. MPMA’s growing education platform—including in-plant training, online courses, and emerging technology webinars and committees—is designed to meet professionals at every stage. If your team works with mechanical power transmission equipment, there’s a program built for them.

Network. MPMA connects more than 400 member companies across the full power transmission supply chain. MPT Expo, our flagship trade show in October 2027, brings manufacturers, suppliers, and increasingly, their customers together in one place. For engineers and procurement professionals looking to evaluate technology, build supplier relationships, or benchmark against industry peers, that network has tangible value.

Voice. The regulatory and policy environment affecting manufacturing is shifting. Trade policy, workforce development, technical standards adoption—these issues don’t stop at the factory. MPMA is actively building its advocacy presence so that the power transmission industry’s perspective is heard where decisions are made. As a user of this technology, your challenges deserve a voice in that effort too.

The next five years will bring real change to this industry—in trade, technology, and the talent pipeline that keeps operations running. MPMA is investing in programs, partnerships, and platforms to help our members navigate all this, but an alliance is only as strong as the breadth of perspectives it represents.

If you’ve never thought of MPMA as your association, I’d like to change that. I’m here to hear from this community—what challenges are you facing, where are the gaps, and how can MPMA respond? Reach out and tell me.

The power transmission industry works because every part of the supply chain does its job. MPMA should work the same way.

Jenny Blackford can be reached at blackford@motionpower.org.